carlos hathcock model 70 rifle

Gunny Hathcock's venerable Winchester could certainly tell a tale or two. The reward was never collected. By the end of his first deployment Hathcock's life was worth $30,000 to the North Vietnamese . Regardless, the fact that there were a number of Model 1903 Marine Corps match rifles, along with spare parts, already on-hand resulted in the idea of a standardized Model 70 sniping rifle being doomed from the start.Despite the Marine Corps firm rejection of the Model 70, some of these rifles did, in fact, serve overseas in combat, albeit on an unofficial basis. Winchester Model 70 (.30-06) Review. Carlos Hathcock's sniper This one is mine. Receiver is engraved with likeness of Carlos Hathcock's signature, along with the White Feather logo. George H. Hurt of the 3rd Marine Divisions newly formed sniper school at Da Nang, Vietnam, checked the 8X Unertl scope mounted on a Winchester Model 70. Adopting the Winchester Model 70 as the ideal Marine sniper rifle was a concept that had been floated by the Corps tactical marksmanship experts as far back as the early 1940s. For those wondering why the military did not continue using the Model 70 and abandoned it in favor of the Remington Model 700, McGuire gave a cogent synopsis of the reasoning behind this decision: [For Vietnam], the Marines wanted a bolt-action rifle with a medium-heavy barrel and a sporter stock. These rifles pop up every now and then, not often but they do show up. "He got that right," Hathcock said. Known as Van Orden rifles, these model 70 sniper rifles were at last procured under the watchful eye of Brigadier General George Van Orden. In one of his more renowned stories, Carlos Hathcock killed an enemy sniper through the enemy's own rifle scope. These marines were unwilling to leave their preferred rifle at home and carry the approved, but less accurate Springfield M1903 into battle. In 1966, the Marines determined that the M1C and M1D Garand sniper rifles lacked the accuracy required for operations in Vietnam and modified the available Model 70 target rifles and standard rifles to sniper configuration by fitting them with the 8x Unertl "USMC-SNIPER" telescopic sights mounted on the Springfield M1903A1 sniper rifles during WWII and the Korean Conflict. Built with glass-bedded actions and heavy barrels, and used for long-range target competition, the M70s were capable of great accuracy with the Unertl scopes. Marines Honor Rifle and Scope Used by Corps Sniper Legend RIAC believes that this website is accessible to the widest possible audience pursuant to the guidelines of the Americans with Disability Act. Born on May 20, 1942, in Little Rock, Arkansas, Hathcock took to the sport of shooting at a very young age. Great project. The rifles were a special order spec sent from Winchester to Evaluators Limited of Triangle, VA, where they were fully accurized to meet Van Orden's detailed sniper specification. USMC Sniper Rifles: Hands On History. The M-25 White Feather is a tribute to Carlos Hathcock who accounted for 93 confirmed enemy kills in Vietnam. IIRC, Remington did this with some of their rifles at one time. The Winchester Model 70 represented perhaps the epitome of the bolt-action sporting rifle. Use left/right arrows to navigate the slideshow or swipe left/right if using a mobile device. *Lighting a path to truth* Former Navy JAG Worldwide U.S. Military Defense. Carlos Hathcock accepting the Wimbledon Cup after winning the NRA National Matches. It is used by not only sportsmen, but military and police snipers as well. It might be possible it's real as it came from a Marine officer who served back then, but I don't know how you could ever prove/authenticate one unless you had a document with the serial number on it. Can't recall if they were 264 or 7mm Rem mag offhand. Douglas still produces the same barrel they supplied to the Marines in the early 1940s, which makes easy work of getting one key aspect of this build exactlyright. Carlos Hathcock usually used a Winchester Model 70 in .30 .06. Officially, Carlos Hathcock had 93 confirmed kills. While the causes and conduct of that war remain a subject of great debate, an interesting aspect of the conflict is the use of the Winchester Model 70 as a precision rifle by the US forces, especially by the US Marine Corps snipers. While the USMC used the Model 70 to greatest advantage during this period, a limited number were also employed by Army personnel for sniping, and Model 70s with silencers mounted on them were utilized for covert operations in Southeast Asia.James O. E. Norells article A Century Of USMC Sniper Rifles (August 2007, p. 44) related some interesting information by retired USMC Maj. Edward J.Jim Land, Jr., regarding the Model 70 rifles that were used by the Marines in Vietnam circa 1966: Land first scrounged 12 Model 70 sporting rifles that had been procured by Special Services for deer hunting at Camp Pendleton. A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Gunnery Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II joined the Corps in 1959 at age 17. This success led to the adoption of the .50 BMG cartridge as a viable sniper round. Hathcock remains a legend in the U.S. Marine Corps. I was quickly brought back to reality when shooting this system. Leatherwood is etched glass. The Story of Legendary Sniper Carlos Hathcock The rifle was already being used by Marines snipers in Vietnam. He lived in a rural area with his grandmother as his parents had separated. Learn more about Gunnery Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II and the Winchester Model 70s service in Vietnam in these two American Rifleman articles:The Military Model 70. You can Cerakote the stainless barrela good artist can pretty much replicate any finish. STOCK: Walnut FINISH: Blued barrel and action, oil-finished stock LENGTH OF PULL: 13.8 in. Many of these were subsequently rebuilt between circa 1956 and 1963, primarily at the Marine Corps Match Rebuild Shop in Albany, Ga. In November 1965, USMC Gy/Sgt. The U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1C is sufficiently accurate for use by snipers in the Marine Corps.Despite this rebuff, the Marine Corps report went on to state that [the] Model 70 Winchester is the most accurate American made, Caliber .30 on the market.During this same period, the U.S. Army also considered procurement of a modified Model 70 for sniping use as reflected in a memo from the chief of ordnance dated Oct. 30, 1951, which states in part: Any further consideration of the Model 70 by the Army was rejected. Decorations. On this occasion he used a .50 caliber Browning M2 machine gun, to which he attached his scope with a bracket he designed himself. You must log in or register to reply here. [18][19], Hathcock only once removed the white feather from his bush hat while deployed in Vietnam. But I guess I was wrong. the best known U.S. Marine Corps snipers who used the Winchester Model 70 during the Vietnam War was Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock, who used a Winchester Model 70 sniper rifle chambered in .30-06. Ultimately neither of these proposed rifles was ultimately adopted. Adelbert F. Waldron III stacked up 113 enemies using the XM21 system. On some occasions, however, he used a different weapon: the . THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ , PO Box 1077 MURFREESBORO, Tennessee 37133 United States, P.O. In an eloquent eulogy to Hathcock inThe Washington Post, staff writer Stephen Hunter said it best. Scope not included. A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Gunnery Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II joined the Corps in 1959 at age 17. At the direction of Van Orden, USMC armorers began modifying some of thesporter weight rifles, fitting them with heavy Douglas target barrels and Unertl 8X scopes. The Military Model 70: A Forgotten Sniper Rifle 2023 Rock Island Auction Company. [22] Hathcock said he was almost stepped on as he lay camouflaged with grass and vegetation in a meadow shortly after sunset. [47] Hathcock carried a Colt M1911A1 pistol as a sidearm.[17]. Confrontations with North Vietnamese snipers, NRA.org/NRA National Shooting Program/ NRA National Trophies/Wimbledon Cup, Navy and Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation, Marine Corps Rifle Expert Marksmanship Badge, Marine Corps Pistol Expert Marksmanship Badge, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, List of historically notable United States Marines, "Marine Corps Sets Sights on More Precise Shooting", "The Story of Legendary Sniper Carlos Hathcock", "Etica ed estetica del cecchino nella narrativa di Nicolai Lilin", "Carlos Hathcock: Famous Marine Corps Sniper", "Ultimate Marine (Hathcock vs Mawhinney)", "Valor Awards for Carlos N. Hathcock, II", "A Quiet Man Uniquely Qualified To Stalk And Kill", "Marine Corps Distinguished Shooters Association Board of Governors", "2015 Marine Corps League Enlisted Awards Announcement", "Review: Springfield Armory's M-25 Whitefeather", "Range complex named after famous Vietnam sniper", Longest confirmed combat sniper-shot kill, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carlos_Hathcock&oldid=1142492093, United States Marine Corps personnel of the Vietnam War, Military personnel from Little Rock, Arkansas, United States Marine Corps non-commissioned officers, Articles with dead external links from November 2016, Articles with permanently dead external links, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from February 2019, Articles with failed verification from February 2019, Articles with self-published sources from December 2017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Hathcock's duel with Cobra was mentioned in the History Channel, This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 18:11. You are using an out of date browser. Winchester Model 70 "standard Rifle" manufactured in 1941 with medium-heavy target barrel and "U.S.M.C.-SNIPER" Unertl telescopic sight. He sold quite a few, and claims they came from a USMC armorer. That is the pic. The only sound in the sweltering stillness was the buzzing of flies and gnats as. Carlos Hathcock's sniper rifle! Carlos Hathcock's sniper rifle! One Marine who came from just such a rifle team environment and went to Vietnam, where he used a similar Model 70 for a time was Gunnery Sgt. The only downsides are that its in the foothills just on the east side of the Rockies and the Chinook winds can get up to 100mph on bad days! He went on about five [operations] one time before I could get a fix on him. This Marine made history's 5th longest sniper kill with a machine gun What type of rifle did Carlos Hathcock use? Hathcock's first round disabled the bicycle, the second struck the enemy soldier in the chest. The "U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1903," better-known as the M1903 Springfield, has become one of the most popular U.S. military small arms to collect. Carlos Hathcock, the most celebrated US sniper in history, preferred the model 70 over a host of other rifles at his disposal, using it extensively in combat during the Vietnam war, and in Wimbledon matches at Camp Perry in the years that followed. It is a Model 70 National Match version made before 1940. Through the PX system in Okinawa, Lands NCOs bought mounts, rings and scopes. "It was the hunt, not the killing. The Model 70 was largely based on theModel 54, and is today still highly regarded by shooters and is often called The Riflemans Rifle. The sniper system shoots theM72 match ammunition loaded with 173-grain boat-tailed bullets (.30-06). You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article. The left side of the barrel has the standard Winchester legend and trademark followed by: "MODEL 70-30-06 SPRG.-". Nicknamed The White Feather for the small plume he wore on his boonie cap, Hathcocks incredible marksmanship skills soon struck fear in the hearts of the enemy, so much so that the Viet Cong reportedly placed a bounty of $30,000 on his head. Before any official action was taken, the Marine Corps ordered 373 Model 70s chambered in .30-06 Sprg. Early Vietnam Sniper Rifles - Guns and Ammo First rate article outlining the service of the Model 70. From the 1970's, illustrating the Monte Carlo style stocks used in this era. The scope tube is roll-stamped: "J. UNERTL/USMC-SNIPER" in two lines above the serial number "2232". For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. This article, "The Military Model 70," appeared originally in the April 2011 issue of American Rifleman. A 1951 U.S. Marine Corps report on the subject categorically rejected the procurement of any new Model 70 sniper rifles: There is no Marine Corps requirement for a special rifle for use by snipers in the Marine Corps. My Navy Long Range Rifle (that I used at the Interservice Championship Long Range Match to win the 720 pictured above) started life as a Model 721 .300 H&H. It was built up by Crane in .300 Win Mag. It was in this way the Winchester model 70 found its way into unauthorized sniper duty during the WWII, primarily in the Pacific Theater. The metal was reblued as required. This year, H&R announced an expansion of its AR-15 lineup, bringing additional "retro" models to the market, including a 9 mm Luger-chambered Colt SMG clone, an M16A2-styled rifle and the carbine-size 723. With this rifle, Carlos describes killing 7 more Viet Cong soldiers and shared the 8th VC with McAbee. [38] He is buried at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens in Norfolk, Virginia. Vietnam sniper shot an enemy sniper through the enemy's own scope [7][8][9] After a platoon of Vietnamese snipers was sent to hunt down "White Feather", many Marines in the same area donned white feathers to deceive the enemy. While the war in Vietnam ushered in a number of new technologies, particularly the widespread use of helicopters and night vision equipment, much of the equipment had been tried and tested on the battlefields of earlier wars. All it would take is an '06 reamer if one was inclined. We should give February to Chris Kyle's favorite weapon, The Barrett M99 and Carlos Hathcock's Winchester Model 70 Sniper Rifle being as they both went on to the main rally point in February . The Carlos Hathcock Sniper Rifle! - The Loadout Room The LR/T front focal offers an elevation range of 65-MOA and a windage range of 65-MOA. Gen. Van Orden, including Smiths championship-winning rifle, were shipped to Vietnam as supplemental equipment.Peter Senich gave additional details regarding the use of the Model 70 sniper rifle in Vietnam in his excellent book The One-Round War: Glass-bedded and accurized by Marine Corps Rifle Team Equipment Armorers (RTE), the Model 70s fired .30-06 M72 match ammunition having a 173-grain, boat-tailed bullet. A handful of the original USMC model 70 riflessurvive to this day, and 76 years later hold enormous collector interest. The Model 70 was largely based on the Model 54, and is today still highly regarded by shooters and is often called "The Rifleman's Rifle".In 1999 Shooting Times magazine named the Model 70 the "Bolt-action Rifle of the Century". They are fragile and the external rings may or may not offer as fine adjustments for windage and elevation. In turn, the Winchester factory had submitted a sniper prototype of the Model 70 fitted with a 10-round detachable box magazine to the US Army back in the early 1950s. It would be hard to find a better example of this classic Marine sniper rifle from the Vietnam War. There are no internal adjustments to zero these old style Unertls. Thats perfect! It appears that you are accessing the Winchester Website from outside North America. Carlos Hathcock, The Marine Sniper Whose Exploits Can Hardly Be Believed . During his second combat tour in South Vietnam Hathcock braved a wall of flaming fuel to save seven fellow Marines from a burning AMTRAC, suffering severe burns himself during the rescue. The Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock Award is presented annually by the National Defense Industrial Association "to recognize an individual who has made significant contributions in operational employment and tactics of small arms weapons systems which have impacted the readiness and capabilities of the U.S. military or law enforcement. He was honored by having a rifle named after him: a variant of the M21 dubbed the Springfield Armory M25 White Feather, for the nickname "White Feather" given to Hathcock by the North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN). Concord High School Football California, My Clothing Record Army Login, Thomas Gibson Family, Network Health Pick Your Perks 2022, Articles C